Sunday, July 23, 2017

Many authors that I speak with, whether self-published or published by a leading publisher, regardless of genre, a writer’s credentials, or the marketing campaign behind their books, will ask about how they can become a best-selling author. It is understandable that they’d want to make a list – they seek fame, fortune, and to be heard in a big way. But do our best-seller lists really represent the best books out there?

Best-seller lists are in today’s world a manipulated reward for those who know how to game the system. Through pre-launch orders arranged by an author’s marketing team, family and friends, one can hit a best-seller list not because of the merits of the book but the proof that expensive and persistent marketing has a pay-off. Nothing wrong there, but one should not be fooled into thinking that a best-seller is necessarily a great book. Heck, it may not even be a good one.

Once a book gets on a best-seller list it tends to beget more sales. More people – reviewers, media, consumers – pay attention to these lists and further create a demand for a book they know little about. It’s a process similar to when people choose the brand item vs. the generic or unknown label simply because it seems familiar and recognized in an authoritative way.

Then again, there’s almost a deliberate opposition to best-sellers by the literary snobbery. Whether it’s jealousy or something else, the elitists may purposely damn a book because it is popular and on a list. Everyone likes to knock a leader off his perch. But that kind of prejudice seems uncalled for. A best-seller can be a very good book. But its selling status is not necessarily an indicator of the content quality, just as a beautiful person may be ugly on the inside. No guarantees there.

Best-seller lists used to be influenced by a number of factors, including traditional reviews by a respected handful, huge advertising campaigns, big publicity tours, and positive word-of-mouth. Now a big player is pre-order shenanigans arranged by people who know how to process a certain amount of orders by reaching out to an author’s list of connections, including ones the author will underwrite book purchases for. Further, social media is now dictating popularity and fueling book sales, but again, the buzz is not necessarily based on the book’s purity – just its author’s financial ability to get influencers to post on his behalf.

Best-sellers are created and rarely just materialize organically. It’s a crafted, controlled process that represents not so much the best of books but the best of book marketing. What will it take to make these lists purified and truly representative of real consumers and their reading judgments? We may never know.

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

When preparing for speaking engagements and presentations based on my non-fiction books, I always ensure that I include several anecdotes or observations. While some authors prefer to keep their personal life private, sharing snippets of yourself with your audience usually helps them relate to you and your story.

The most typical question that I’m asked during the Q&A period of my presentations is how the event affected me or my family. People want to know that not only have you overcome the tragedy or grown as a result of the incident, but they want some examples. Sometimes the examples I include are also in the book, but usually not. And sometimes I include a mix—some anecdotes from the book and some not. Letting attendees know that there is more anecdotal material in the book helps sway them to purchase the book because they know they’re not just getting a rehash of what they already heard during my presentation.

By sharing these snippets of insight into my life, it helps me and the audience connect, and not just as reader to author, but as caring individuals sharing a similar experience. After all, many people relate best to your story when they understand the person who wrote it. This is especially true of two of my books (Escorting the Dead and On Dreams and Dream Symbols). These two books also generate a great many questions and much discussion between me and my audience. Therefore, once I’ve read them a chapter or two or given my presentation, I regale them with one or two anecdotes. This usually spurs a spate of similar stories from the audience, which soon leads to some very lively discussions. Once people realize that other people have had similar experiences, thoughts, or questions, it’s easy to get them interested in learning more, which leads them to purchasing your books.

By bringing some of you to the presentation, you show your audience that you and they are not so very different. Perhaps you’re wondering just what to share with your audience. Think back to when you were writing the book:

• What prompted you to write about it?• Why was the moment, incident, or event special or important?• What about it did you think others might want or need to know?• How did it change you or those you care about?• What insights did it bring to your life?• How did you grow from the incident or overcome the tragedy?

The answer to any of those questions should prompt an anecdote or memory that you can work into your presentation. So, select two or three different ones each time you do a presentation; this almost always guarantees you a lively discussion or question and answer session. Using different stories and anecdotes for each presentation also keeps your talks fresh.

You might even incorporate bits and pieces of your audience discussions as anecdotes (as long as you leave out names and other identifying information). It all helps the audience and potential readers identify with you and your topic. It helps them understand that other people also have similar ideas, thoughts, and questions. And it ultimately leads to book sales.

Friday, June 30, 2017

Epilogues and prologues are sometimes enigmatic parts of a novel that can even perplex the author of a book. What are they, and are they necessary? The answer to the second question is no, you don't need them. The inclusion of an epilogue or prologue or both is purely a matter of style. Some authors find them useful, but most authors in today's publishing world don't include them in their books. I have used them, and I do find them useful.

They are extra bits of a story. In mystery books, a prologue can be the incident that triggers the mystery. I've used the epilogue to wrap up a subplot that would be the bridge to the next book in a series. In the final chapter of the book, after the conclusion, I simply used the epilogue as a launching point for the next story.

Some authors, use a different point of view in their epilogues and prologues. They play with style and voice to give the story a bookend feel to it. A prologue can even be in the author's voice. In this case, it would be used to explain the motivation behind the story, what drove the author to write it and share it with the world?

Epilogues and prologues aren't for everyone. If you've never included either in a book, don't worry. They aren't crucial to the structure of the book. But, you may find, as I have, that they can be fun to write, and if done right, they can give your story that little extra oomph that you've been looking for.

-Richard

Richard Ridley is an award-winning author and paid CreateSpace contributor.

As a writer, you must overcome many obstacles. You write a book that’s worth publishing. You find a literary agent, book publisher, or self-publishing platform. You market and promote the book. Then, opportunity knocks, and the news media wants to interview you. Finally, your moment has arrived. But with it also comes pangs of fear, feelings of insecurity and even a touch of panic.

Hold on. There’s every reason to feel nervous, that’s natural, and the adrenaline rush can even help you. But there’s no reason to have an allergic reaction to the media. It all comes down to you talking about yourself and your book – two subjects you know better than anyone. You should not fret. Have fun with it.

The reasons people freak out may consist of the following:

1.What if people reject me or my book?

2.What if I don’t say the right thing, or worse, say the wrong thing?

3.I’m insecure about my looks or my voice – can I hide?

4.I fear what they’ll ask me or that I’ll be surprised.

5.I desperately want to make a great impression but don’t know how.

6.I don’t know how to speak in sound bytes.

7.I’ve never done this before, so I have no clue what to expect.

8.What if the media wants to make me look stupid?

9.What exactly should I say that will lure interest in me?

10.I’m not a big public speaker. I would rather write than talk.

It’s quite normal to think of any and all of these things. But I can assure you these can all be addressed.

The first step is to reverse your thinking. Instead of thinking of the negatives, think of the positives. Finally, you get to have your message heard, your views voiced, and your book discovered. Simply choose to see this as a wonderful opportunity with no drawbacks or risks.

Second, to alleviate your concerns or fears, go through media training. Have a professional help you.

Third, write up 12-15 suggested interview questions and share them with media outlets. They are likely to use it as a script for the interview, which helps you anticipate what will be asked.

Fourth, start to think of the key points that you want to stress in every interview and offer a call-to-action, such as going to your website. Have something free and interesting available as a download on your site.

Fifth, break the interview down into what it is – a one on-one conversation. Never mind how many people may watch, listen or read your story -- just think of you talking to one person, one question at a time.

Sixth, boost your confidence by remembering why you started to write books – to help inspire, entertain or elevate others. Feel good about what you’re doing and believe it will go well.

Seventh, imagine for the moment that you fall on your ass in the interview. You stutter. You forget an answer. Your makeup runs. Your shirt has a coffee stain. Your voice cracks. So what!? What ends up happening? Nothing. Maybe you didn’t make the best impression or sell a lot of books but you won’t lose friends or go to jail or be fined. A bad interview is nothing and goes into the rear view mirror when you replace it with good interviews. Imagine the worse, realize nothing bad results from it, and move on. Face your fear and walk away unscathed.

Some things can be addressed or even avoided. For instance, don’t pursue media that may actually try to turn this into a circus, such as morning zoo radio or late night comedy talk shows. If your topic is controversial – race, religion, politics, sex – ready yourself to hear opposing viewpoints but never lose your cool or treat people disrespectfully. And if you’re worried about your appearance, fix it up (new clothes) or accept yourself for who you are. Don’t keep beating yourself up.

Lastly, remember there are endless reels of bloopers of famous, well-trained personalities who messed up royally in their interviews. The bar is quite high to compete with their screw-ups. Believe in yourself and others will too, and if the worst happens, move on to the next interview. Smile, deep breath…talk.

Total Author Solutions ISBN output for 2015, including 657 Archway ISBNs not shown in this section: 24,587.

2015 output did grow slightly at WestBow, by 275, and at Archway, by 37. And Wordclay, defunct for years, inexplicably popped up again in 2015 with 14. But for all other AS brands, including its very first "imprint," AuthorHouse, issued ISBNs fell by hundreds or thousands. Overall, AS's 2015 ISBN output was less than half its 2011 high point, and represents a 45% drop over 2013.

Even allowing for some inconsistencies in the data, that is a really precipitous decline. Pearson, which bought AS in 2012 for the surprisingly low price of $116 million (surprising because then, as now, AS was the largest of the assisted self-pub providers, and by all appearances was still growing), unloaded it in December 2015 to a private equity firm. Looks like that was a good decision.

Meanwhile, DIY platform Createspace--where authors don't have to use ISBNs or can provide their own--continues to be king, with 423,728 ISBNs issued in 2015, an increase of 131,545 over the previous year.

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Welcome to Linda's Write Place

About Me

My life began in a small town in Arkansas, the fourth of twelve children. My husband and I have six children between us and nine grandchildren. After retiring from GM Corporation after 31 years of service, we moved to Arizona from Michigan, then to Arkansas.

After seeing most of the USA in a big rig, I settled in to a more contemporary job, my present, as a 911 dispatcher. No, I wasn't the driver. My husband was, but sometimes I would imagine myself under the wheel.

As fate would have it, we are now raising two grandsons, fifteen and seventeen, so retirement again isn't in view for at least two more years, but will be much awaited.

I've toyed with writing all my life, but never produced anything until last year when I wrote my first book, which isn't published yet. My goal is to become a published author, and my dream is to be a very good one.

Mission accomplished! I've been a published author for sometime now and anxiously awaiting my second publication. Enjoying fulfilling my bucket list.